Related Links

It's a bit unfair to compare Arizona Wildcats defensive end
Brooks Reed to the NFL's most dominant defensive player.

But on NFL draft day, Reed is happy to have Green Bay Packers
linebacker Clay Matthews in his life.

"I have the right size and speed, and a guy like Clay helps me
get that kind of a look leading up to the draft," Reed said. "And
the hair. Especially the hair. That helps."

OK, some comparisons are unavoidable. But Matthews and the
Sabino High School grad have more in common than their long, blond
locks.

Both players were underrated as Pac-10 players. Both put up
freakish numbers at the annual draft combine.

And by the end of this week, both will be well-paid NFL
players.

Most draft experts believe Reed will be a taken in either
today's first round or early Friday.

If taken in the first, Reed could be the third Tucsonan to go
that high since the AFL-NFL merger. The Cardinals selected
defensive tackle Mike Dawson in 1976 and the Bills took offensive
tackle John Fina in 1992.

ESPN's Todd McShay has Reed going to the Chiefs with the No. 21
overall pick in his latest mock draft. Others have linked Reed to
the Falcons, Cardinals, Redskins, Bills, Ravens, Packers and
Jaguars.

Reed says he has no idea when - or where - he'll be taken.

"You get an idea of the teams that are semi-interested, but they
don't really give you feedback on anything," he said. "Everything
to them has got to be a big secret."

Reed's selection will almost surely come with a position change.
His size and speed makes him best suited as an outside linebacker
in a 3-4 defensive scheme.

He can thank Matthews, who has helped redefine the linebacker
role during his two seasons in the NFL. Playing a modified version
of the "Elephant" position that made him a standout at USC,
Matthews lines up on each side of the field and, depending on the
scheme, blitzes or drops into coverage. Matthews made the Pro Bowl
in each of his pro seasons. In February, he led the Packers to a
Super Bowl title.

Matthews' success has created a demand in a copycat league.

Two of the UA's other draft-eligible players, Ricky Elmore and
D'Aundre Reed, worked out at both defensive end and linebacker this
off-season. Both are expected to be taken in the later rounds.

"I talked to a lot of (NFL) coaches and scouts about that,"
D'Aundre Reed said. "I think a lot of them like to take defensive
ends and turn them into outside linebackers. They want someone who
can rush."

The Packers traded up to take Matthews with the 26th overall
pick in 2009. Brooks Reed's agent, Kenny Zuckerman, said that means
there are 25 teams that still regret passing on him two years
ago.

"If Clay Matthews was in this draft, where would he go? No. 2?"
Zuckerman said. "If Clay Matthews is a No. 2 pick, Brooks Reed
isn't that far below that. If you told me right now that Brooks
Reed would be even 70 percent, 80 percent the player Clay Matthews
is, he'd be a first-rounder still. … Even if he didn't have long
blond locks, he's still going to get the comparisons."

And that's before, Zuckerman said, Reed's physical advantages
are considered. The UA senior stands 6 feet 3 inches tall, like
Matthews, and weighs 263 pounds - 23 more than the Packers star
weighed coming out of college. Though Matthews is faster over short
distances, both players are similarly relentless on the field and
in their desire to improve.

"Brooks is a freak, and he's going to be a great pro," Zuckerman
said. "If he stays healthy, he's going to be a Pro Bowler."

It's a long way from the UA practice squad, which is where Reed
spent his freshman season after signing with the UA out of
Sabino.

Coaches moved him from H-Back to defensive end a year later with
hopes that he could solidify a position of need. He started his
first game as a sophomore in 2008, and registered 37 tackles and
eight sacks that year. Reed played through injuries most of his
junior year, and posted solid numbers - 47 tackles, 10
tackles-for-loss and 6 1/2 sacks - as a senior. He earned
all-conference honors.

Now, the 24-year-old Reed, who has a degree in geography from
the UA, is a day or two from being drafted. The feeling, he said,
has no comparison.

"It's been a blessing," Reed said. "I've worked extremely,
extremely hard. I've been fully dedicated to this sport. I'm not
looking to stop once I get drafted."

Many NFL draft analysts believe Brooks Reed projects as the next
Clay Matthews. Here's a look at how the UA standout and Green Bay
Packers star performed at the NFL combine and on their respective
pro days:

Category Clay Matthews (2009) Brooks Reed (2011)

Height 6-3 6-3

Weight 240 263

40-yard dash 4.62 seconds 4.68 seconds

Vertical leap 35 1/2 inches 30 1/2 inches

Broad jump 10 feet 1 inch 9 feet 11 inches

Bench press 23 reps of 225 30 reps of 225

Copyright 2015 Arizona Daily Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.